Jalen Hurst, a graduate of Pelahatchie High School, received the iconic white coat from the Mississippi College (MC) School of Nursing in a recent ceremony.
Hurst's experience at MC School of Nursing held high accolades, "The Accelerated Program at MC is great for anyone considering a career in nursing. The professors are always there to help, and my nursing cohort are a great group of people to work with. My plan after obtaining my BSN is to work in the ICU and to become a travel nurse after gaining more experience here in the Central Mississippi area."
Taylor Martin remembers the emotions she felt as a nursing student when she first donned a white coat, emblematic of her chosen profession's obligations and responsibilities.
The semester one coordinator and instructor wanted every student in the School of Nursing at Mississippi College to experience the same sense of pride when participating in the White Coat Ceremony in the B.C. Rogers Student Center.
"The ceremony is an iconic rite of passage for incoming nursing students at MC," said the Madison resident, who coordinated the event. "During the ceremony, I am reminded of the journey and the sacrifices each of them took to come here and fulfill God's calling.
The school's Young Alumni of the Year Award recipient - Brianna Pendergrass, a 2014 graduate of the school - was selected to serve as guest speaker.
"I wanted the students to see someone who was in their place not too long ago and to hear all the things she has accomplished in a short amount of time," said Martin, who is pursuing a doctorate in public health. "Each ceremony, we also anoint and bless each student's hands, highlighting the importance of the nurse's therapeutic, healing touch."
After Pendergrass' address, the participants ascended to the platform in pairs, where a senior nursing student helped them into their new coats. Each pair of students were met by a School of Nursing faculty member at the bottom of the platform stairs to receive a blessing of the hands before returning to their seats.
"The blessing of the hands is to ask for God's protection, guidance, and wisdom as the students move into the profession of nursing," said Kimberly Sharp, dean of the MC School of Nursing. She said the White Coat Ceremony creates a bond between the students and the profession of nursing.
The first MC School of Nursing White Coat Ceremony took place in the fall of 2014 and was supported by grant funds from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, made possible through the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The foundation, an international, nonprofit organization, works with physicians, nurses in training and in practice, and other members of the healthcare team, to instill a culture of respect, dignity, and compassion for both patients and professionals.
The following year, Sharp re-centered the focus of the ceremony on the University's core values of faith and caring.
"Students are ambassadors of MC when they are in clinical agencies, and we challenge them to live out Christian caring in their clinical practice," Sharp said.
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